Safety cap steam releaser



Nov. 30, 1965 MCCAMEY 3,220,597

SAFETY CAP STEAM RELEASER Filed Aug. 28, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

ens/1 LM-m/m/ NOV. 30, 1965 MOCAMEY SAFETY CAP STEAM RELEASER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1964 INVENTOR. @55/1 .4 m'm/vzy 2%WM 1965 R. L. MCCAMEY 3,2205? SAFETY GAP STEAM RELEASER Filed Aug. 28, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Reba A We C'amey INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,220,597 SAFETY CAP STEAM RELEASER Reba L. McCamey, 807 N. 14th St., Orange, Tex. Filed Aug. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 392,781 2 Claims. (Cl. 22040) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a safety cap to safely release steam from fluid radiators used for cooling fluids circulated through internal combustion motors and the like to which said radiators are attached.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending United States patent application Serial No. 6,166, filed Feb. 2, 1960.

An object of the invention is to provide a safety cap which may be removed in a safe and expedient manner by manual operation and release steam from a radiator of an internal combustion motor without being injured or burned by the released steam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety cap of the character described having a wide hollow circular shroud thereon which deflects the upward flow of steam outwardly and releases the steam from the radiator and fill hole which also serves as outlet to which the safety cap is removably attached as the cap is manually turned to unseal the cap from the outlet to which it is engaged in sealed relationship.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a new and improved safety cap releaser device for positioning about a conventional radiator cap by simply squeezing the device whereby the releaser device and radiator cap are thereafter rotatable as a unit so that when the radiator cap is released from a radiator, steam is deflected downwardly by the releaser device in a direction away from the hands of the person removing the radiator cap.

One object of this invention is to provide a new and improved means for deflecting steam emitted from an automotive radiator and further providing a safe hand hold for manipulation of a radiator cap wherein said means are locked into position about the radiator cap.

These and other objects of the invention are in part obvious and are in part more fully disclosed in the specification, the drawings of which show by way of illustration the embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation partly sectional of the safety cap removably attached to the fill hole and steam outlet at the top of a radiator which is shown in fragmentary view;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the invention and is a side view in elevation, partly sectional, of a detachable safety cap adapted to disengage and remove a radiator cap removably attached to the fill hole and steam outlet at the top of a radiator, which radiator is shown in fragmentary view;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, illustrating another modified removable safety cap of this invention in position on a radiator cap;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the safety cap embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the lower side of the safety cap embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, removed from the radiator cap.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numeraled parts herein denote like numeraled parts therein in the various views, in which the radiator 1 has top 2 which has flanged fill pipe 3 extending thereabove with fill hole 4 therethrough which communicates with fluid chamber 5 in radiator 1 and which fill hole 4 also serves as the outlet for the steam under pressure within fluid chamber 5 of the radiator. The fluids circulated through an internal combustion motor or the like and are returned and circulated through said radiator for cooling the same. The fill pipe 3 is provided with an enlarged circular flange 6 forming locking shoulder 7 therebeneath which circular flange 6 is interrupted by a pair of opposed notches 88 opened outwardly to the outer periphery of the flange for the reception of a pair of inwardly depending opposed lugs 9-9 of radiator cap 10. Said depending lugs 99 pass through, register with and extend below the notches 88 when the radiator cap 10 is placed in position over top of flange 6 of the fill pipe 3 and by manually turning cap 10, the tops 1111 of each depending lug 9-9 will pass beneath the locking shoulder 7 of the circular flange 6 to tighten and lock thereunder to secure the cap 10 to the fill pipe 3 to cause the underside 13 of cap 10 to seal against the top of flange 6. The locking shoulder 7 may be slightly inclined downwardly from the notches 8-8 to insure tightening of the cap before a quarter turn of the cap is effected manually by use of ears 1212 to aid in gripping and turning the cap 10.

A safety cap 14 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is welded at 15 to the radiator cap 10 and is provided with two opposed handles 1616 to facilitate gripping and turning said safety cap, thus actuate and turn said radiator cap in attaching and detaching same from the fill pipe 3. Said safety cap 14 having a wide hollow circular shroud 17 shown to be conical in shape and extending down from the top 18 thereof and terminating adjacent the top 2 of said radiator 1. Said shroud 17 thereby provides a large chamber 19 into which the steam escapes from the radiator chamber 5 through fill hole 4 when the radiator cap is turned by manipulating and turning the safety cap and the seal is broken thereby between the underside 13 of the radiator cap 10 and the top 13 of flange 6 of the fill pipe 3. The chamber 19 of shroud 17 traps the upward flow of the steam which would flow upward as it is under pressure and would normally flow up and around the radiator cap 10, but since chamber 19 stops the upward flow of the steam it is deflected downwardly by shroud 17 and its escape route changed by said shroud 17 and directed to flow outwardly between the bottom 20 of the shroud 17 and the top 2 of the radiator housing 1.

Steam under pressure is always present above the Water level of the fluid in the radiator such as used in internal combustion motors and the like, and more so in the summer time, because of the atmospheric heat and now because a great portion of the motors of automobiles also are burdened with operating an air conditioning unit which often causes steam pressures up to 10 pounds or more to build up in the top of radiators attached to said motors. Upon removing the radiator cap of the conventional design it is becoming increasing more diflicult to do so without fear of being burned and scalded by the steam under pressure when it is released as soon as the seal is broken between the radiator cap and the fill pipe to the radiator. By use of my invention I am able to prevent the steam from burning or scalding the operator who removes a radiator cap when sufiicient steam pressure has accumulated as the steam is directed outwardly to prevent this type of injury.

FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings show another embodiment of the invention which is generic to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings and where permissible the parts thereof will be described with the same numbers to the same parts in all of the drawings. There are two principal diflferences in the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4' over that in FIGS. 1 and 2, one being that safety cap 27 is not welded at to radiator cap 10 as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The other difference is that FIGS. 3 and 4 have an added pair of opposed depending keeper lugs 21-21 which extend down from the underside 18 of the detachable safety cap 27 and adapted for the purpose of engaging the radiator cap 10 in order to remove the radiator cap from the flanged fill pipe 3 when steam pressure is at a dangerous point, otherwise the radiator cap 10 of conventional design cannot be removed without the protection of the detachable safety cap without risk of injury. The use of the detachable safety cap 27 deflects the normally upward movement of the steam and directs it outwardly between the bottom 20 of the shroud 17 and the top 2 of the radiator housing 1. After safe removal of the radiator cap by means of the detachable safety cap 27 the radiator cap is again replaced after being cooled off in the usual manner. Therefore the detachable safety cap 27 does not remain on the radiator cap when the auto or the like is being operated as the detachable cap 27 is only used by station attendant or operator when it becomes necessary to remove a radiator cap of conventional design by means of my detachable safety cap 27 which provides a shroud 17 as a steam releaser such as shown in the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4. The keeper lugs 21-21 thereof have inward projections 22-22 and recesses 23-23 formed in the inside forward corners of said projections 22-22, which recesses 23-23 receive the ears 12-12 of the radiator cap and engage same upon rotation or turning of the detachable safety cap 27 so that the stop shoulders 24-24 of the recesses engage the side edges 25-25 of cars 12-12 of the radiator cap 10 to turn said cap 10 therewith in order to bring the depending lugs 9-9 of the radiator cap 10 in register with the notches 8-8 in the flange 6 so that the radiator cap 10 can be lifted and removed by means of the detachable safety cap 27. After the radiator cap 10 is turned and its depending lugs 9-9 are in register with the notches 8-8 in the flange 6 of fill pipe 3 the bottom shoulders 26-26 of the recesses 23-23 in operative position as shown in FIG. 4 is beneath a portion of the bottom of the ears 12-12 of the radiator cap and an upward lift of the safety cap 27 will unseal the radiator cap and after the steam pressure has been dissipated by the shroud 17 of the detachable safety cap 27 deflecting the steam outwardly, the safety cap is lifted upwardly and the radiator cap 10 is removed with it since the bottom shoulders 26-26 of safety cap 27 will remove the radiator cap with it. The safety cap may be made of any suitable material which will withstand heat that will permit handling such as known types of plastics which will resist heat at high temperatures but remain cool enough to be handled without burning the hands.

The safety cap illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 includes a protective cover member 32 adapted to encompass a radiator cap 50 within the central recess 33 and carries an angularly extending encircling shroud 35 for deflecting steam emitted from the radiator .cap 50 when the cap 59 is loosened from the radiator neck 51. The recess 33 is preferably circular in configuration to admit a conventional radiator cap 50 to the safety cap and includes a pair of appended recesses 36 for engaging the ears 52 diametrically positioned on opposite sides of each radiator cap 50.

The plan view of FIG. 6 depicts the shroud 35 as being circular about the safety cap for providing steam deflection outward and away from the upper surface of the protective cover member which is adapted to be hand held for disengaging a radiator cap from the radiator. Gripping means are formed at 38 in the form of exterior surface manifestations of the appended recesses 36 on the nether side of the safety cap for receiving the ears of the radiator cap therein and it may be appreciated that the safety cap of this invention may be hand held by gripping the means 38 to achieve rotation in both directions for tightening and removing the radiator cap and for additionally lifting the safety cap and interconnected radiator cap from the radiator.

The depth of the recess 33 illustrated in FIG. 5 is sufiicient to extend to the lower edge of the projecting ears 52 and confines the radiator cap 50 therein by means of yieldable snap means 40. The yieldable means 40 are formed on the cover member and extend inwardly towards the central recess 33 in spaced relationship to the cover member 32 for abutting the nether side of the radiator cap cars 52. The yieldable means 40 extend inwardly of and below the ear recesses 36 (FIG. 7) and each preferably slopes slightly downwardly (FIG. 5) to easily accommodate the cap ears 52 when inserted.

The lower side of the safety cap which is illustrated in FIG. 7 discloses that the yieldable snap means 40 resemble a small portion of a chordal area joined to the main body of the safety cap along the arc identified at 41 and having a planar intersection with the shroud 35. The shading lines of FIG. 7 illustrate that the shroud 35 extends in a generally outwardly and downwardly direction in all directions about the cap recess 33 with the angle being illustrated in the section view of FIG. 5. Inwardly extending projections 39 are preferably included to enhance the constraint of the radiator cap 50 positioned in the safety cap but such projections may be omitted if desired.

The embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 is installed on a radiator cap by applying a squeezing force at the points indicated at 42 and 43 of FIGS. 6 and 7. In customary usage, the safety cap of this invention is amenable to squeezing pressure applied broadly at these two above-identified points which slight squeezing force produces some distortion of the safety cap. It may be appreciated that as the points 42 and 43 are squeezed toward one another, the yieldable safety cap of this invention is somewhat elongated along the diameter extending through the recesses 36 and thereby carries the two snap means 40 apart from one another a distance sufficient to snap the radiator cap 50 into the recesses 33 and 36 with the snap means 40 below the ears 52 of the cap 50. It may be appreciated that the means 40 for abutting the lower sides of the radiator cap cars 52 need only move a fraction of an inch to allow the cars 52 to enter the ear recesses 36.

The radiator cap 50 is thus received within the safety cap and when the cars '52 are positioned in the ear recesses 36, the oppositely positioned end walls 39 of the recesses 36 limit wobble and excessive movement of the safety cap relative to the radiator cap 50 in one dimension and the confinement of the recess 33 as defined within the cover member 32 limits movement in the other direction. Separation of the safety cap from the radiator cap is also limited in that the yieldable snap means 40 extend inwardly beneath the projecting ears 52 for clamping the ears 52 and of course the radiator cap 50 itself to the safety cap for rotation together as 'a unit. In accordance with the above-mentioned expansion and contraction of the safety cap along the diameter extending through the recesses for receiving the ears 52, the safety cap of this invention may be expanded to be positioned on the radiator cap 50 and may be thereafter expanded to expedite removal therefrom. In the interim, it should be observed that the safety cap of this invention is susceptible of rotation with the cap 50 by the user grasping the gripping means 38 with his hand to affix and remove the radiator cap 50 from the stem 51 of an automotive radiator or the like. In particular, the removal of the radiator cap with the safety cap of this invention installed thereon is clearly expedited in that the gripping means 38 may be manipulated to rotate the cap counterclockwise and disengage same from the radiator opening with safety. Assuming the worst, the escaping steam and boiling water which is maintained under pressure up to about perhaps 15 lbs. above atmospheric pressure is deflected downwardly and outwardly by the shroud 35 and away from the hand ofv the operator manipulating the cap to remove the radiator cap 50. Therefore, it may be appreciated that burns and other injuries are thereby avoided.

The safety device of this invention is particularly advantageous in that it may be formed of a plastic having low thermal conductivity to thereby avoid burns on contact even after extended contact with a radiator cap at elevated temperatures. In the FIGS. 5-7 form of this invention, the plastic must also be sufliciently resilient to deform when a person squeezes it at points 42 and 43 for installation on the cap 50, as previously explained. In this regard, the radiator safety cap protector of this invention is preferably formed of Alathon, a polyethylene resin, Zytel, a nylon resin, or Delrin, an acetal resin.

It is obvious that many changes in the detail of the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A protective snap-lock safety device adapted for permanent installation on radiator caps or the like having projecting ears, comprising:

(a) a protective cap cover member adapted to extend substantially around a radiator cap;

(b) a shroud carried by the cover member which extends outwardly and downwardly of the radiator cap for deflecting escaping steam and hot water down wardly and away from the radiator cap;

(c) a centrally positioned recess formed in the cover member and having a shape for seating the radiator cap therein;

(d) additional recesses adjacent the central recesses for receiving the outwardly extending radiator cap therein;

(c) said additional recesses enclosing projecting ears on both sides for rotational movement of said cover member in either direction with the radiator cap and as a unit therewith;

(f) inwardly extending snap means carried by said cover member and adjacent to and extending over a substantial portion of said additional recesses for movement of said cover member with the radiator cap as a unit on lifting the radiator cap;

(g) said inwardly extending means being yieldable to snap into abutting position adjacent the projecting ears on the radiator cap; and

(h) said cover member being fabricated of a yieldable material so that a squeezing force applied approximately perpendicular to a line through two of said additional recesses lengthens said cover member between said two aditional recesses to enable said inwardly extending means to move to a position adjacent the lower side of the projecting ears.

2. A protective snap-lock device for installation on radiator caps or the like having outwardly extending ears to enable hand removal or installation of the radiator cap without burns, scalds, or other injuries, comprising:

(a) a protective cap cover member adapted to extend substantially around a radiator cap;

(b) a shroud carried by the cover member which extends outwardly and downwardly of the radiator cap for deflecting escaping steam and hot water downwardly and away from the radiator cap;

(c) a centrally positioned recess formed in the cover member and having a shape for seating the radiator cap therein;

(d) additional recesses adjacent the central recesses for receiving the outwardly extending radiator cap therein;

(e) said additional recesses enclosing projecting ears on both sides for rotational movement of said cover member in either direction with the radiator cap and as a unit therewith;

(f) chordally extending means carried by the cover member and extending fully across the outer portion of said additional recesses for releasably locking the projecting ears therein;

(g) said chordally extending means being yieldable to snap into locking position;

(h) said cover member being fabricated of "a yieldable material so that a squeezing force applied approximately perpendicularly of a line through two of said additional recesses to enable said chordally extending means to snap into locking position adjacent the lower side of the projecting ears; and

(i) gripping means on the upper surface of said cover member and inwardly of said shroud for hand removal or installation of the radiator cap moving with said cover member as a unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,895,363 7/1959 Cox 81--3.l 2,908,417 10/1959 Conner et 'al 220-40 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner. 

1. A PROTECTIVE SNAP-LOCK SAFETY DEVICE ADAPTED FOR PERMANENT INSTALLATION ON RADIATOR CAPS OR THE LIKE HAVING PROJECTING EARS, COMPRISING: (A) A PROTECTIVE CAP COVER MEMBER ADAPTED TO EXTEND SUBSTANTIALLY AROUND A RADIATOR CAP; (B) A SHROUD CARRIED BY THE COVER MEMBER WHICH EXTENDS OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY OF THE RADIATOR CAP FOR DEFLECTING ESCAPING STEAM AND HOT WATER DOWNWARDLY AND AWAY FROM THE RADIATOR CAP; (C) A CENTRALLY POSITIONED RECESS FORMED IN THE COVER MEMBER AND HAVING A SHAPE FOR SEATING THE RADIATOR CAP THEREIN; (D) ADDITIONAL RECESSES ADJACENT THE CENTRAL RECESSES FOR RECEIVING THE OUTWARDLY EXTENDING RADIATOR CAP THEREIN; (E) SAID ADDITIONAL RECESSES ENCLOSING PROJECTING EARS ON BOTH SIDES FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER MEMBER IN EITHER DIRECTION WITH THE RADIATOR CAP AND AS A UNIT THEREWITH; 